China's Wild West
Director Urszula Pontikos
Countries
Duration 10 min
Synopsis
Every winter the Yurungkash River in western China dries up, revealing an expanse of river-worn stones. There, hidden within the rock, lies a buried treasure forty times more valuable than gold—jade. Hundreds of people gather in the riverbeds, endlessly scrabbling at rock in search of a jewel they are unlikely to find. Still, the small glimmer of hope prevails over weary backs and frozen figures. As we watch the countless poverty-stricken men and women in unrequited pursuit, we are perhaps left to ponder our own failed quests for diamonds in the rough, as well as the extraordinary—and quixotic—measures we'll resort to in pursuit of wealth.
Every winter the Yurungkash River in western China dries up, revealing an expanse of river-worn stones. There, hidden within the rock, lies a buried treasure forty times more valuable than gold—jade. Hundreds of people gather in the riverbeds, endlessly scrabbling at rock in search of a jewel they are unlikely to find. Still, the small glimmer of hope prevails over weary backs and frozen figures. As we watch the countless poverty-stricken men and women in unrequited pursuit, we are perhaps left to ponder our own failed quests for diamonds in the rough, as well as the extraordinary—and quixotic—measures we'll resort to in pursuit of wealth.